Gas stop-cock



Patented July 22, 1856 Wz'lwasscs 2 Sheets- Sheet 2. I J. HUMPHREY.

' Gas Reguiator.

Patented july 22, 1856.

Inuezfi i N. Parana Phomuthognphqr, wa n zm o. c.

STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES HUMPHREY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

GAS STOP-COCK.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 15,376, dated July 22, 1856.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that/I, JAMES HUMPHREY, of Boston, Suffolk county, Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Self-Sealing Gas- Gock; and I do hereby declare that the following description, with the accompanying drawings, forms a full, clear, and exact specification thereof.

In the drawings, Figures 1, 2, and 3 represent a form of my invention adapted to its most ordinarily required situation, to wit: At the termination of one of the small pipes ready to receive the burner.

Fig. 1, is an elevation of the outside of the cock. Fig. 2, is a vertical section, taken on line A, B, and Fig. 3, a horizontal section, taken on line C, D. The red arrows show the direction of the current of gas, in its passage through the cock from the supply pipe to the burner.

It will be observed that there are substantial pieces of metal which form both the upper and lower extremities of the cock, each having appropriate female screw threads out in them, the lower one a being to receive the supply pipe, and the upper one I) to receive the burner or mouth piece. The middle portion of the cock, between the two end pieces before mentioned, I construct of four concentric cylinders, or pieces of metallic piping, two of them marked d, and 6 being attached to the upper metallic end piece which holds the burner, and two of them 0 and f, attached to the lower one, which is connected with the supply pipe, and thus forming a small reservoir which is partially filled with a quantity of mercury, represented in the drawing by the letter 9.

The cylinder cl has a small triangular orifice in the lower part of it at h, and is made somewhat adjustable up and down by a screw thread at i.

ing therefrom, as long as the triangular slot 71, is wholly submerged in the mercury in the reservoir. But as soon as the upper part of the cock and with it the cylinder 03 is raised, so as to bring a portion of the slot above the surface of the mercury, it immediately affords an aperture for the passage of the gas in to the space between the cylinders d, and e, and thence through the holes 70, k, in to the passage leading to the burner.

Fig. 4, is an illustrative sectional view, showing the manner in which the peculiar principles of my invention can be applied to the construction of gas cocks between two sections of stationary pipes. The gas following the course of the red arrows, and entering by the supply pipe a, fills the pipe 6, but is effectually retained therein, as long as the triangular slot 0, is submerged in the mercury d, but as soon as the lower part of the cock, which contains the reservoir of mercury, is lowered by means of the adjustable screw 6, so as to bring any part of the slot 0, above the surface of the mercury, it immediately affords an aperture for the gas to escape in to the space between the pipe 5 and the circumscribing cylinder f, and thence through the hole g, in to the outlet pipe 72 I am fully aware that mercury is sometimes used for sealing joints in gas pipes, where it is desirable to have a perfectly close joint, with frequent motion and but little friction, particularly in the attachment of drop lights to chandeliers, or even to any stationary orifices in gas pipes; but, I have no knowledge of its employment in any gas cook heretofore in use for alternately letting on and off the gas, and by its impermeable and yetfiuid nature, thus forming a cock perfectly self sealing, easy in its operation and free from most of the imperfections and difficulties attendant upon strict mechanical construction.

Having thus described my self sealing gas cook, what I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The mercurial gas-cock, constructed with the adjustable slitted cylinder and the reservoir of mercury, arranged and operating substantially as described.

JAMES HUMPI-IREY.

Witnesses:

JOEL GILES, LUTHER BRIGGS, Jr. 

